A Commitment to Community

Simple Modern Rooted in Foundational Dedication to Philanthropy

“Being involved personally helps us stay connected. It is motivating to all of us.” - Chris Hoyle

If you’ve visited 19th Street in recent years, you’ve likely noticed an inviting three-story office building tucked in behind the shops on the west end of the Fritts Farm development. This unassuming structure is the headquarters of Simple Modern, an e-commerce company specializing in the sale of drinkware and consumer packaged goods.

Simple Modern partners with some of the largest retailers in the world, including Amazon, Walmart and Target, serving customers in all 50 states and internationally. But what might surprise you is the altruistic genesis of Simple Modern – three friends, who are University of Oklahoma graduates and e-commerce experts, wanted to start a mission-driven, values-based company that gives generously.

“Mike Beckham, Bryan Porter and Micah Ames wanted to create a company for good and they started with that concept even before they had a product,” said Chris Hoyle, chief marketing officer.

Having dedicated seven years to Simple Modern, Hoyle takes pride in being part of an Oklahoma-based company.

“We are proud to be Oklahomans and we want to represent Oklahoma well in all the places we are selling,” he shared. “We want people to see our products and know we are their neighbors, that our kids go to the same schools, that we are a part of the same communities.

“Oklahoma has a great talent pool – great, hardworking people.”

Guided by their core values of excellence, generosity, trust, humility and collaboration, Simple Modern allocates 10 percent of annual profits to charitable causes, with a significant portion benefiting local initiatives in Oklahoma.

A dedicated giving committee steers contribution decisions within the company’s core giving areas, encompassing clean water supply, education, the fight against human trafficking, support for marginalized communities and homelessness. Furthermore, employees are actively encouraged to engage with the community by utilizing paid time off to volunteer.

“We don’t just want to write checks,” shared Hoyle. “Being involved personally helps us stay connected. It is motivating to all of us.”

Simple Modern has partnered with several organizations including OKC Thunder.

“It is fun to be connected with a local but national brand,” Hoyle shared. “They are doing a lot of great things and have a good platform that we can connect with.”

Recently, Simple Modern introduced an employee stock option as an additional means to reinforce their commitment to generosity.

“Now every employee in the company is an owner because we want everyone to succeed together,” Hoyle said.

Within the Great Place to Work program, 99% of employees say Simple Modern is a great place to work which is well above the average of 57% nationally. Hoyle aspires for Simple Modern to inspire other entrepreneurs.

“We hope we are an incubator for other entrepreneurs,” he said. “For those wondering can I build a business here? The answer is yes. You can do business here that is a benefit to your owners, employees and the community.”– SMS